Spring is that great time of the year when the flowers bloom, trees grow their leaves and people start looking for things to do outside of their house. Here are five family friendly things to get out and do this spring in East Tennessee.
1. Take a Spring Wildflower Hike.Norris Dam State Park Rangers and Tennessee Valley Authority staff will be leading hikes along the Clinch River near Norris Dam on March 28th and April 4th. The park rangers and TVA staff will acquaint hikers with the identification, natural history and the folklore of spring wildflowers along the trail. There are three hikes each day. A hike will leave from the River Bluff Trail at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. These moderate hikes will be three miles each and take 2+ hours. The third hike will leave from the Lower Clear Creek trail at 2 p.m. This hike is also moderate and will be about 2 miles that should take about two hours. Be sure and bring your 84 mile challenge form and record your miles for a healthy hike. If you don’t already have one, there will be forms available. All of the hikes are free and you do not need to register. Just meet the leaders at the trailhead. If you have questions, contact the park office at 865-426-4500.
2. Check out Sheep Shearing.Sheep are a lot like humans in that they are ready to shed their winter coat as soon as spring hits. The Museum of Appalachia shows visitors how sheep are sheared and also has demonstrators showing all the ways that pioneers turned fleece into woven goods on April 3, 2020 and April 17, 2020. Guests will also enjoy sheep herding, Appalachian music, an animal meet and greet, storytelling, and other historic demonstrations, including soap carving, beekeeping, sawmilling, blacksmithing, pioneer gardening, and dulcimer lessons. Admission includes a tour of the Museum mountain farm and village, which contains some three-dozen historic log structures, exhibit halls filled with thousands of Appalachian artifacts, gardens, and free-range farm animals. School groups, home-schooled students, families, and individuals are all welcome to attend. Click here to find out everything you need to know.
When you google “top 10 things to do this spring”, go outdoors and enjoy a spring concert are high on the list. Well, you can knock two items off the list with one event, Windrock Park’s Spring Shindig from April 16th to the 18th.The event starts with guided off-road rides and competitive events and ends with two nights of country music concerts with Craig Morgan headlining on Saturday night. Everything takes place at Windrock Park, a 73,000 acre off-road park. So if music and mud is your thing, check out the Shindig.
4. Mountain Bike the hills and Valleys of East Tennessee.Mountain Biking is a great way to explore the trails of East Tennessee. In Anderson County we have seven riding areas designed specifically for mountain bikes that range from moderate to extreme in difficulty level. You can find information about them all at hitthetrails.net. You can also participate in a mountain biking event this spring and help raise money to improve the trails. Check out www.natstrails.com and find out about their Poker Run on April 25, 2020.
5. Blooms DayAttend the 2nd Annual Blooms Day in Historic Downtown Clinton on April 4th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Celebrate our small town charm with a pie eating contest, a bonnet parade with the Easter Bunny, face painting, local performances, an obstacle course at Clinch Valley Crossfit, food trucks, vendors and so much more!